https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/d2d2751f-0b75-4c11-a071-a3808c3f7eb0 In this fascinating 2001 interview, Robert L. Adcock talks about his experiences working on the Vanguard, Titan, Dyna-Soar, and Gemini missile and space programs. *** DON'T MISS when he tells about a SATELLITE being SHOT WITH A RIFLE when they found it after the vehicle exploded. Watch the video to find out why. *** In 1955 Bob entered the space program working for the Glen L. Martin Company in Baltimore, MD as a Ground Electrical Systems Engineer on the Vanguard missile project. In 1956, he moved to Florida to install some Vanguard systems at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Pad 18A. He later became Martin's Vanguard Electrical Systems Representative for both ground and airborne systems. On Dec 6, 1957, Bob was there for the explosion of the first Vanguard to carry a satellite. This was right after Russia's Sputnik launch and the U.S. government was pushing them hard to launch a satellite ASAP. (The TV3 (Test Vehicle #3) flight was originally supposed to be without a payload, but politics won out.) You can view the failure at 2min 30 sec in our Launch Mishaps video: https://youtu.be/ytaEtl2Nka4 In 1959 he was moved to California to work on the Titan 1 missile program at Vandenberg Air Force Base. In 1961 Bob moved back to Baltimore, Maryland to work on the X-20 Dyna-Soar Spaceplane. After that program was cancelled, he went to work on the Gemini manned space program at the Vertical Test Facility in Baltimore. In 1963 Bob moved to Florida to support the first Gemini launch and was there for all 12 launches. He eventually became "Pad Control" (A sort of Assistant Test Conductor). An ORIGINAL production of The American Space Museum, Titusville, FL. Part of our original 2001 "Space Workers Oral History" Project. INTERVIEW by Dr. Lori C. Walters on 11/2/2001 in Titusville, FL IT MANAGER & TECHNICAL SUPPORT: Bruce Landon Jacobs COPYRIGHT: 2001, 2022 American Space Museum and U.S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation Mirrored from YouTube: https://youtu.be/Hv9Y62QwktQ Original channel: American Space Museum Wed, 15 Jul 2026 08:44:55 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/ec5edb1e-3795-4978-be4f-c67e98fbc992.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/d2d2751f-0b75-4c11-a071-a3808c3f7eb0 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.